Last hinge set



United States Patent O LAST HINGE SET Edward F. Schmank, Portsmouth,Ohio, assignor to Vulalli Corporation, Portsmouth, Ohio, a corporationof Application August 6, 1954, Serial No. 448,354

2 Claims. (Cl. 206-46) The present invention relates to a novel shoelast hinge set and is particularly directed to the provision of suchsets by iixedly securing together by severable means the component partsthereof in units for shipment and storage and in operative conditionsfor their installations into shoe lasts.

Heretofore the metal parts for last hinges were supplied to shoe lastmanufacturers in heterogeneous bulk lots. Some of the parts in theselots were either lost or were improperly counted so that the number ofcomplete last hinge sets in the lots usually fell short of the numberrequisitioned. Secondly present day last hinge sets generally have atleast three parts, one of which is spring biased in the completed last,thus requiring consirable time and skill to manipulate the parts intooperative positions inthe routs of the last parts to be articulated bythe sets.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a novel means forovercoming the two foregoing objections to the present day last hingeparts which is extremely simple in its application and eifective inoperation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a last hinge set whosecomponent parts are severably secured together in a unitary conditionfor shipment and storage and in which condition they are more quicklyand easily mounted in a shoe last.

Other'- objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentfrom the following specification taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of my last hinge set.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view taken from the right side of the setdepicted in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an elevational view taken from the left side of the set shownin Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a shoe last shown partly in section,illustrating the operative position of the hinge set in a shoe last.

The embodiment of this invention is illustrated in the drawing asincorporated in a three part shoe last hinge set 5 comprising a lastpart link 6, a catch plate 7 and a latch lever 8. With reference to Fig.4 it will be noted that a collapsible shoe last 9 has two members thatare commonly referred to as a forepart 10 and a heel part 11 securedtogether by the hinge set 5 which is located in aligned routs formed inthe last parts. The last parts are articulated by the set for relativeswinging movements from the expanded operative last position shown insaid Fig. 4 to a collapsed, foreshortened and angularly disposedposition and return. The forepart 10 has a stepped convex meeting face101 complementary with a stepped concave meeting face 111 on the heelpart 11 which together establish the normal operative position of theparts and also permit relative movement between the parts to collapsethe last.

The hinge parts are preferably flat metal stampings and each end of thelink 6 has a hole 14 and 15 (Fig. 1)

formed through it to receive the central portions of pins 16 and 17,respectively, that are anchored in the body of the respective lastparts. The catch plate 7 is provided with a pin receiving hole 18 inalignment with the hole 15 in the link 6 and is fixed in the said partby another pin 19 anchored in the body of the part and passing through ahole 2li formed in the central part of the plate. The latch lever 8 ispivotally mounted on the hinge pin 16 and to this end it is providedwith a pin receiving hole 21 positioned in alignment with the hole 14 inthe link 6. The latch lever has a rearwardly extending lug 22 whichnormally engages the upper edge 23 of the catch plate 7 to maintain thelast parts in operative, expanded condition. Disengagement of the latchlever from the catch plate causes the last parts to collapse bypermitting the forepart 10 to rock upwardly on link 6 and rotate on pin16 to bring the parts into last collapsed position. The latch lever 8 isbiased toward the catch plate by a spring 24 fixed at one end to theforepart by nails 25 and bearing at its opposed end 26 against thelever. All of the foregoing structure is conventional as evidenced bypatents to Clausing No. 2,622,253 dated December 23, 1952 and No.2,641,783 dated June 16, 1953, and has been heretofore described merelyas an illustrative setting for my invention.

In accordance with this invention the component parts 6, 7 and 8 of thelast hinge set 5 are fixed together in last articulating positions forshipment and/or storage by means of severable or shearable securingmeans disposed within localized areas between adjacent faces of thecomponent hinge parts of the last hinge set. The severable securingmeans most suited for my purpose is presently thought to be spots 27 ofa fast drying, synthetic resin applied between the adjacent faces of thecatch plate and link and between the adjacent faces of the latch leverand link when the parts are in operative positions with the pin holes ofthe several hinge parts in axial alignment and the latch lever lug inengagement with the upper end of the catch plate. In this position thesaid .spots are permitted to dry thus securing the parts together forshipment or storage and also maintaining them in prefixed positions forinstallation of the hinge set in the receiving routes 12 and 13 of alast 9 so that the respective hinge pins 16, 17 and 19 may be driveninto operative hinge engaging positions in the last. In the latterrespect it will be seen that the last hinge set will remain in itsoperative position by reason of the securing spots 27, it beingnecessary to insert the set in the last part routes and drive the pins16, 17 and 19 through the aligned holes to complete the installation ofthe hinge set in the last. To then articulate the last, a slight forwardblow or pressure on the lug 22 of the latch lever 8 will shear or severthe fastening spot between the lever and the link 6, whilst upwardpressure on the forepart with the lever and catch plate disengaged willcause shearing or severing of the connecting spot 27 between the linkand catch plate thereby permitting the set to normally functionthereafter to articulate the last parts.

l have hertofore specified that the securing means or spots 27 could bea fast drying, synthetic resin but other adhesive means could beemployed such as various glues, pressure sensitive, synthetic resins,light spot Welds, or the like, it being only essential to the carryingout of my invention that the means be strong enough to withstand usualpacking and shipping pressures and the faces upon the parts incident toinstalling the hinge sets in shoe lasts and yet be readily severable bya shearing stress exerted on the hinge parts of the set after it hasbeen installed 0 in a shoe last.

What is claimed is: 1. An articleA of manufacture adapted for use as ahinge set package for installation in the articulated members of acollapsible shoe last comprising three com ponent elements consisting ofa last part link, a catch plate and a latch lever all predisposed in atriangularly shaped arrangement with the respective end portions of saidelements overlapping and in surface contact at two corners of thearrangement, and `element securing means between the end portions of theelements forming the two corners of the triangular arrangement, saidmeans being characterized by the fact that they are each severable by ashearing force exertive on adjacent elements after installation of saidhinge set package in a shoe last.

2. An article of manufacture adapted for use as a hinge set package forinstallation in the articulated rnernbers `of a collapsible shoe lastcomprising three cornponent elements consisting of a last part link, acatch plate and a latch lever all predisposed in a triangularly shapedarrangement with the respective end portions of the elements in surfacecontact at the corners of said arrangement, the end portions of thelever and plate being in overlapping relationship with the end portions0f `the link, and element securing means between the said overlappingend portions and characterized by the fact that each of said means isseverable by a shearing force exertive on adjacent elements afterinstallation of said hinge set package in a shoe last.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

